was handed down my late uncle's 80s stand mixer, still works like a dreamSubmitted by Wavestormed t3_z5a5vd in BuyItForLife
fondledbydolphins t1_ixux20v wrote
If you're handy at all you may consider opening that baby up to clean out the old gummed up gear lube / replace with some fresh lube.
Even if the machine isn't begging for it right now, it's totally worth the work if it hasn't been done in decades.
(Also you can typically order replacement hardware as needed - even for these older models)
Wavestormed OP t1_ixv2phq wrote
i am a huge fan of restoration and upkeep!! i'll look into this - wasn't sure what maintenance needed to be done! thank you!!
salty_oak_8 t1_ixvll5i wrote
If you’re on TikTok, look up MrMixer. He repairs these for a living and sells kits with all the tools and grease you need. He also has tutorial videos
Wavestormed OP t1_ixworez wrote
ty for this suggestion! (I am op)
beerarchy t1_ixxo9r7 wrote
Check out his videos too. Seems like a nice guy. His house was destroyed by a tornado too. He has lots of interesting content.
BackHarlowRoad t1_ixvz1qv wrote
Ty for this suggestion! (Not OP)
BeauregardBear t1_ixxivcj wrote
Ty for this info- not op but I have had the same mixer on my counter since the mid-80s.
holy_sweet_jesus t1_ixvzmh5 wrote
I just inherited a Ksm90 from my mother-in-law last week. First thing I did was buy some grease (food safe) and did a full service following these YouTube videos (there are 3 parts) ....
Went off without a hitch and the unit runs silent and like new. My first loaf of bread on the other hand was of the vintage they must have stoned Jesus with.... Old yeast I think, but I'm going to keep trying.
Enjoy these machines are built to last with a little maintenance.
arkstfan t1_ixxc6w4 wrote
The joy of baking :)
Cooking is jazz, feel free to change things up.
Baking is classical music, follow the notes or people are mad.
youngemarx t1_iy2bai9 wrote
I came here to recommend mr mixer, you got that done before I could. Wealth of knowledge for these mixers and a good resource for literally everything you can imagine for them
XGC75 t1_ixw8qb2 wrote
Replace the metal worm gear with the new plastic one, too. It'll fail 10x more often but when it fails only it fails. When the old metal one fails it'll take the whole machine with it. It's a great example of engineering resiliency into the product.
Edit: and the motor contacts. Those are wear parts.
DraconianDebate t1_ixwrho6 wrote
Buy two so when it does fail, you have a spare and can fix it immediately. Really sucks having it happen the night before thanksgiving without a spare.
CynthiaMWD t1_ixyftms wrote
I am too! In the '80s I bought a Sunbeam deep fryer from the '60s and had it re-wired & it's still going strong.
My Sunbeam Mixmaster from the '70s is still running great too. We discard things too readily.
Atty_for_hire t1_ixz8ox1 wrote
It’s a pretty simple task. We received a broken one that just needed a drive gear changed out (only needed one specialty tool). I cleaned and lubed while in there (no specialty tools needed). It was a 2-3 hour process. I could do it again in an hour.
jester8484 t1_ixviyoa wrote
I've done this multiple times. It fairly simple. I recommend ensuring you buy food grade grease in the event it ever leaks.
Oyyeee t1_ixxyw9f wrote
Or get hungry whilst doing it
freckledcas t1_ixv061d wrote
How should I go about doing this without fucking up the mixer?
fondledbydolphins t1_ixv0bqn wrote
There are a surprising number of channels on YouTube that make quality, in-depth tutorials on most models. Give your particular model a quick Google.
Just keep in mind that you should order supplies (lube and any necessary tools prior to opening the machine up).
Also, once you open it - keep in mind it may stay open for a few weeks if you end up needing to order replacement gears / other parts.
freckledcas t1_ixv0dey wrote
Thank you!
chase314 t1_ixv2k94 wrote
I would also point out that if you don't feel comfortable doing the maintenance yourself, which is totally okay, there might be someone near you who services these mixers.
dudeilovethisshit t1_ixxkz2r wrote
My husband did that to ours today! It had developed a squeak after 15 years. Lots of cleaning and fresh food-safe oil later, it’ll be grand for another 15.
mwnciglas t1_ixysgd1 wrote
KitchenAid seem great for replacement parts - will deffo be my next purchase when the old kMix burns out!
haunted-liver-1 t1_ixvs1m3 wrote
If it ain't broke, dont fix it
fondledbydolphins t1_ixvsx65 wrote
This isn't a "fix" this is regular maintenance.
That's like saying "Don't brush your teeth - they're not actively falling out of your head so they must be fine."
F-21 t1_ixwcd40 wrote
I doubt it's regularmaintenance by the manual, it's most likely irregular maintenance because it's been in use for so long. I doubt that machine needs any regular maintenance apart from cleaning. Tbh if there's metal gears, they expected it to stay sealed for-life, kind of like how most manual car gearboxes have the same oil for the life of the car...
I mean, it's not bad to swap out the grease, but in most cases itwon't really make a difference if it's just a sealed metal reduction transmission.
sponge_welder t1_ixwly5r wrote
Swapping out grease is important once mixers get old, the original grease is clay-based and it eventually separates. Oil drips out of the machine and the gear case is left with big masses of clay.
It's also not a very good idea to never change your transmission fluid
Freed_lab_rat t1_ixxa7b9 wrote
Transmission fluid is for automatics, not manual gearboxes.
sponge_welder t1_ixxsuxa wrote
There's definitely manual transmission fluid, it's much less specialized than ATF, but MTF certainly exists. Honda recommends changing it every 30-60k miles
F-21 t1_ixxy0jo wrote
Manual gearboxes in nearly all instances use SAE 90 api gl-5 or gl-4 oil. You don't need to ever swap it out.
ATF is something totally different.
sponge_welder t1_ixy2zk0 wrote
I don't think you're going to find many supporters of sealed transmissions and lifetime fluids in the buy it for life subreddit, it's not a very long term solution, and it certainly doesn't apply to every manual transmission
And I'm specifying ATF and MTF because I'm used to Hondas, and Honda has a specific Manual Transmission Fluid. I know that it's not the same thing as ATF and that not all manufacturers have a specific manual transmission fluid
F-21 t1_ixy4lr9 wrote
That's just how it is, my 1997 Land Cruiser had the same fluid in the gearbox until ~300000km last year when I changed it the first time, which is beyond the mileage where most cars around here get discarded.
It does not make it any worse.
Like with this grease, some guy even said it should be swapped yearly. You're not doing anything good by that - if anything you're most likely to harm something like strip threads to some panel or whatever. Gears don't require a lot of lube anyway, it's probably more important for the bearings that drive them.
These kitchen aid mixers also probably use sealed bearings in the electric motor and most people don't think about repacking those with grease.
DraconianDebate t1_ixwsnwi wrote
That grease definitely is not designed to be "sealed for life", it lasts a while but you should replace it after 5 years of regular use or at worst 10 years of occasional use. I know some people who do it yearly.
F-21 t1_ixxyd1m wrote
And what happens if you don't?
I bet the majority of these mixers never had it replaced.
DraconianDebate t1_iy38dmd wrote
Equipment failure? I've seen a number of these with blown motors, blown gears, etc. What the hell do you think the grease is for?
fondledbydolphins t1_ixwcmi8 wrote
I used the wrong term.
When I said "regular maintenance" I meant maintenance that should be considered "regular" or normal, after a decade or more of use... not the typical meaning of "regular maintenance" meaning frequently occurring out of necessity.
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